


Without You

by dianesmalone



Category: Cheers
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 19:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18372788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianesmalone/pseuds/dianesmalone
Summary: Set during what happened after I Do, Adieu. Sam goes back to their home and struggles to figure out what to do with the house since he knows living there without Diane would be too painful.





	Without You

Sam returns from his daydream of what could’ve been. The older version of he and Diane waltzing in their living room, still as in love as always. He stares at the door for a moment not knowing what to do next. He had just watched the love of his life walk out the door, knowing he’d never see her again.  
Sure she had tried to assure him that he would. Six months she claimed. Sam knew better than that. 

Anytime he cared about anyone and opened up it was bad news. He’d lost every person he’d cared about. His parents- they didn’t give a damn about him, his brother- never spoke to him and was praised over him, Deborah- his ex-wife who he jumped the gun too quickly with and it all fell apart, Coach who treated him like a son, who was the father he had never had passed unexpectedly, and now Diane. 

The only woman who ever had the guts to put up with his bullshit. The only person who could keep his ego in check. She had somehow managed to break through all of the emotional walls he had up and get to the real Sam and he found himself loving her more than any woman who had ever come into his life. Now here he was, she was gone too.

Though he was upset by her leaving he would’ve never let her stay. Not even if she raised hell about it and she pretty much did. Sam was all too aware of the fact that there was more out there for her than him. Than a life as a bar owners wife. If she would’ve stayed he would’ve never forgiven himself for not pushing her to live out the dreams she always so passionately talked about. 

No, she wouldn’t be back in six months. He knew that and he knew that she was aware of that as well. This was the end of the road for them and it killed him. 

Sam looks around the empty bar and lets out a sigh before walking toward the door and out. He then goes up the steps and over to his car, unsure of what he wanted.

The right thing to do seemed to be to go back to their home and gather his things. Sam would have to figure out how to sell their place without her. Or maybe he’d just keep it, he wasn’t sure. 

Sam was very tempted to not go back home, he wanted to drive to the nearest bar that wasn’t his. Wasn’t filled with memories of her and get drunk off his ass. 

He settles into his car and starts it up, he had seconds to make up his mind: drive to his and Diane’s home outside of the city or drive into the city to the nearest bar. 

With his decision made, Sam puts the car into drive and begins to drive away from Cheers and to his destination. 

It was about twenty minutes or so until he arrived at their home, when he does he parks and sits for a moment. It was incredibly hard to push himself to get out and go inside. Though they didn’t own the house for as long as he wished, it was already filled with memories of her. He wanted so badly to get away from the memories. It was too much to handle.

A few more minutes pass and Sam finally steps through the front door of the dark home. The brunette reaches over and flips on the light, letting out a sigh as he steps in. 

Sliding his shoes off, he leaves them by the door— a tradition that Diane had already started when they moved in. She was insistent on making sure the house remained as clean as possible. Sam opposed it at first but with time, he grew accustomed to it and now he did it without a thought.

When he reaches their bedroom he looks around with a sigh. How was he going to go to sleep without her there? He couldn’t remember the last time they didn’t share a bed. She absolutely despised sleeping alone and he had grown to love cuddling with her, it always made him relax and forget his worries.

It takes Sam longer than he had intended to pack up is things and change out of his tuxedo. While gathering up his things, he came across the picture frame he kept of the two of them together by his side of the bed he nearly lost it. Though he didn’t let himself. Instead, he stared at the photo for a long time and felt parts of his heart that he didn’t even realize existed break. 

Now with everything packed away, Sam gives the house one final scan to make sure he had everything before he left. As he looks through the dining room he stops as he notices a book and an envelope sitting on top. 

His heart begins to pound against his chest as he walks over toward the two items. His knees nearly buckling when he sees his name written in her handwriting. 

Sam sets his suitcase aside and pulls out a chair from the dining room table, taking a seat just inches away from the book and envelope. 

He doesn’t jump to open it right away, afraid of what could be inside. When did she have time to do this? It must’ve been while she was packing to leave. Sam stares at both items a little longer before grabbing the book.

Setting the envelope down, he notices just exactly what book she had left him. It was a copy of The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. His mind flashes back to the day when he lent her all of that money for her to spend it on the book. How he ruined it and yet it oddly became a symbol of their relationship. 

Sam finally puts the book to the side and grabs the envelope, opening it carefully. His heart rate had gone through the roof and his palms were sweating buckets. He didn’t know what to expect. 

The brunette pulls out a letter, only making his stomach twist in anticipation more. He opens it the letter fully and reads:

“Dear Sam,

I can only assume that if you’ve gone back to our home that you’ve found this letter. Though I would understand if you avoided our home completely. I know how hard this must be on you. 

In any case, if you’ve found this letter then I wanted to share a few more thoughts with you. I apologize if this letter is for once short, my flight leaves soon and I must be on my way. 

Well let me get to the point here, Sam leaving you was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know that it might not seem like it but it was. From the moment I came to Cheers you have meant more to me than I ever realized. You showed me that love doesn’t happen the way we always think it will. That it comes at the most unexpected times and from the most unexpected people.

You took me in and gave me a job and a home to come to everyday. Words cannot express how eternally grateful I will be for that. 

I won’t go too far into detail about this but I know you Sam, and I know how my leaving is going to affect you. Please know that I am sorry for hurting you. It was never ever my intention. Please know that if my promise of six months falls through somehow, that it’s okay if you move on. I want you to find someone who’s going to be the woman, the wife, you deserve. You’re going to find her I know you will. 

Thank you for giving me this chance to let my dreams become a reality. You don’t know how much you mean to me. I’ll always love you. 

I left you with a couple of things for you to keep, to remember the good times we had. I hope that when you look at them you’ll think fondly of me and us. I love you. 

Love,  
Diane.”

While reading her letter he feels the tears rush to his eyes. Sam couldn’t hold them in, his heart was aching and for once in his life he was going to let himself feel this pain. 

He then glances into the envelope again and notices the other thing that she had left him. It was a ring, not her engagement ring of course he could’ve never asked for that back. It was a ring that he recalled Diane telling him that it meant to much to her. 

The ring was one that she had bought after their first break up. She had told him that it was a reminder that things would get better and that their story wasn’t over. She turned out to be right in some respect as well. 

Sam takes out the ring and looks it over for a moment. That’s when he realizes why she had given it to him. It was a symbol of hope for him, as it had been for her. That their story wasn’t over, not just yet.

**Author's Note:**

> This one hurt to write but I’m always a sucker for some angst. I hope you all enjoyed reading it and reviews are always welcome.


End file.
